House Republicans Meet To Discuss Strategy For Government Shutdown

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio, right) listens to colleague Eric Cantor (R-Va.) speak to the press after a House Republican meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington Sept. 26, 2013.
REUTERS/Jason Reed

House Republicans met on Saturday in a rare weekend talk to consider their next move in their battle with the Senate over the terms of avoiding a government shutdown next week.

Speaker John Boehner was expected to lead a discussion on the provisions he and his majority want to put in their version of the spending bill before sending it back to the Senate for approval.

Boehner has said the House won't return the bill, approved by the Senate in a 79-19 vote.

The Senate's passing the bill was seen as a defeat for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who tried to convince enough of his party colleagues that they must hold the legislation hostage until funding President Barack Obama's health care law was delayed.

But fewer than half of his fellow GOP senators backed his plan.

Update: The plan put forth on Saturday afternoon called for a one-year delay on the Affordable Care Act, which was scheduled to take effect next month, and permanently repeal a medical-device tax in the law.